By 1965, Bent Rej had already made inroads with the biggest stars of the British rock scene. After documenting the Scandinavian and German stops on The Rolling Stones’ European tour that year, Rej suddenly found himself catapulted into the world of rock and roll photography. It wasn’t long before gigs started to line up, including one with one of England’s hottest new groups, The Kinks.
Founded by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1963, The Kinks were a well-established phenomenon by 1965. Nobody in the band was over 22 (Dave Davies was barely 18 at the time), but hit singles like ‘You Really Got Me’ and ‘All Day and All of the Night’ had established The Kinks as rightful heirs to The Rolling Stones teenage fandom.
Like the Stones, The Kinks were playing ragged proto-punk garage rock that was revolutionising the rock world. Unlike the Stones, The Kinks didn’t have any particular fondness for the blues. Instead, the group played a souped-up and feral version of classic rock and roll. With the same mop-top fashion that all bands at the time had to embrace, The Kinks’ youthfulness and rawness were what was propelling them forward.
Rej was able to capture the band at the crossroads of rock history: pre-psychedelia, but past their first hits, The Kinks were still young lads with insatiable energy. Dave Davies was particularly exuberant, climbing to the top of a street lamp and hanging off an entrance sign in Copenhagen. Peter Quaiffe makes a valiant effort, getting as high as the entrance sign before flashing a worried look back to the ground.
When Rej reconnected with the band on their return to London, they were already in transition. Tensions were rising between Dave Davies and Mick Avory. An onstage brawl between the two on May 9th of that year sent Davies to the hospital after Avory whacked the younger Davies upside the head with his hi-hat stand. Even though they were physically brawling, Davies and Avory managed to work out their issues enough to release four albums in 1965: Kind Kinks and The Kink Kontroversy in the UK and Kinks-Size and Kinkdom in the US.
Rej captured the band as they were staring down the upcoming Swingin London scene. Sporting red velvet jackets and mustard yellow ruffled tuxedo shirts, The Kinks are still buttoned up and tightly modelled off The Beatles, despite flashes over their next incarnation coming through.
By 1966, a new wrinkle in the band’s ongoing story came to the fore when Quaife was seriously injured in an automobile accident. Finding a way to get out of the band’s cycle of tours, recordings and constant conflict, Quaife briefly resigned from the band. He was initially replaced by John Dalton, but after reconsidering his decision, Quiafe was brought on board. Dalton would once again replace Quaife when the bass player left for good in 1969.
